WORK AND PENSIONS

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council(BFI Report)

Malcolm Wicks: On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, I should like to announce the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) inspection report on Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council was published today and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
	In its response to the Housing Green Paper of November 2000, the Department for Work and Pensions developed a performance framework for housing benefits. The Performance Standards' allows local authorities to make a comprehensive self-assessment of whether they deliver benefit effectively and securely. They are standards the Department for Work and Pensions aspires to and expects local authorities to achieve in time.
	The BFI inspected the council against the Performance Standards for housing benefits. The report finds that the council is not fully at Standard for any of the seven Performance Standards—strategic management, customer services, processing of claims, working with landlords, internal security, counter-fraud, and overpayments. But Members, Chief Officers and staff are fully committed to delivering a high quality and secure service.
	The report concludes that the work of the council's Benefit Fraud team, the verification of claims before payment is made and a rigorous management-checking regime provide a secure gateway to the benefits system. The well-publicised prosecutions secured by the Benefit Fraud team are also a deterrent to potential fraudsters.
	The BFI considers that the council should incorporate the work of the benefit service in its corporate plans and improve the reporting links from the benefit service through to senior management and Members. The work carried out in respect of customer services is commendable and is moving in the right direction.
	Counter-fraud performance was strong and would be very close to Standard if written procedures and a fraud business plan were in place.
	The administration of overpayments needs improvement and the council should use its management information to prioritise its outstanding debt.
	In 2001–02, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council administered approximately £55.1 million in housing benefits, approximately 19 per cent. of its total gross revenue expenditure.
	The report makes recommendations to help the council address the remaining weaknesses and to further improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as counter-fraud activities.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

Income-related Benefits 2000–01

Andrew Smith: Today I have published the latest estimates of the take-up of income related benefits. Estimates are presented for Income Support, Minimum Income Guarantee, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based) for 2000–01. Copies of the publication have been placed in the Library.
	The take-up estimates are presented in two ways, by expenditure and caseload. Expenditure is the actual amount of benefit claimed as a proportion of the total of claimed and unclaimed benefit. Caseload is the total number of people claiming as a proportion of the total number estimated to be eligible to claim. Estimates of take-up are derived from the Family Resources Survey and the DWP's own administrative data on benefit receipt.
	These new figures give us a much better idea on the crucial question of how many pensioners are getting the help they're entitled to. They confirm that our policies are working to get more money out to the pensioners who need it most.
	The new take-up figures indicate that among the poorest pensioners—who would have been entitled to the MIG even without the Government's decision to make it more generous—the take up rate has increased significantly, by 3 to 4 percentage points.
	The overall picture also contains good news. Take-up is now being measured more precisely—the range of possible values for the take-up rate has been narrowed thanks to the use of external research.
	Last year's take-up figures (calculated for 1999–2000) showed a possible range of 64 to 78 per cent. (the mid-point of this range is 71 per cent.) of pensioners claiming their MIG entitlement; this year's figures (calculated for 1999–2000) show a range of 68 to 76 per cent. (the mid-point of this range is 72 per cent.).
	If we look at the percentage of entitlement claimed then the figures are better—as those poorer pensioners with the largest amount of entitlement are more likely to claim. Last year's take up figures showed a possible range of 74 to 86 per cent. (the mid-point of this range is 80 per cent.) of entitlement being claimed; but this year's figures show a range from 78 to 86 per cent. (the mid-point of this range is 82 per cent.).

NORTHERN IRELAND

Forensic Science Agency

Des Browne: I am pleased to announce FSNI's 2002–03 key targets and the publication of its Corporate Plan 2002–05 and Annual Business Plan 2002–03. The following key targets were set for Forensic Science Northern Ireland in 2002–03:
	Quality of Service
	To turnaround 85 per cent. of reports in which a file is required to be submitted to the DPP within the notified time scale.
	Quality of Science
	To maintain a quality management system that is externally validated through the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.
	Financial Performance
	To continue to recover from customers the full cash cost of the services to them.
	Results
	By 31 March 2003, to initiate a scoping project in advance of the establishment of a trading fund.
	Achievement against these key targets will be recorded in the Agency's Annual Report for 2002–03, which will be published in July.
	FSNI has published a summary of its Corporate plan 2002–05 and Annual Business Plan 2002–03, which explain its business and organisation, describe its key targets for 2002–03 and set out the assumptions about workloads and resources which support its planned activities. Copies of the summary plans have been placed in the Libraries of both House of Parliament. Copies will be available to the public from FSNI or on the FSNI website.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Fishing Industry

Elliot Morley: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked the Strategy Unit to look at the medium to long term issues facing UK marine fishing and propose strategic options.
	At a meeting with representatives of the UK fishing industry on 28 January the Prime Minister agreed on the need for a project setting out options for the next five to 10 years. The Strategy Unit will carry out this project leading to a final report, which will analyse the current situation facing the fishing industry and map out options for the future.
	The Unit's work will be steered by a group, which I shall chair, consisting of Ministers and senior officials from the fisheries departments: the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Office as well as Scotland Office, Wales Office, No. 10 and other key Government Departments.
	Sustainable management of UK fisheries will be successful only if we harness the expertise of the industry, scientists and the NGO community. The project will proactively consult all stakeholders in order to reach a shared vision for a sustainable future that optimises the value we get from the marine fisheries resources available to us.
	The Strategy Unit work will aim to be completed by autumn this year .
	A document setting out the scope of the study is available on the Strategy Unit website http://www.strategy.gov.uk/.

CABINET OFFICE

Public Appointments

Douglas Alexander: I am pleased to announce that today a new public appointments vacancies website has been launched at www.publicappts-vacs.gov.uk/. This has been developed through the joint partnership working of the Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions, and will be hosted alongside the Government's jobs and learning website at http://www.worktrain.gov.uk/
	The new website provides, for the first time, a single source of information about public appointments vacancies at national, regional and local levels across England and the UK. People can search the site by area of interest, Government Department and location to identify the vacancies that are available. They can then access further information about each vacancy, including how to apply.
	The Public Appointments Unit's own website is also being re-launched today at www.publicappointments.gov.uk/. This provides general information about public appointments, how to get involved, the process and the range of public bodies. For people who do not have access to the Internet, the Unit is producing a bi-annual newsletter that will include details of all the vacancies.
	As the majority of today's public appointments vacancies are publicised, in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice, the public appointments register maintained by the PAU can no longer be considered the most effective way to meet the needs of people who wish to become involved in public life. I have therefore decided to close the register.
	I believe that the changes we are making will provide greater access to information about public appointments. They also support the Government's wider objectives on diversity, putting citizens first and extending the range of services on-line.

TREASURY

Finance Bill Measures

Dawn Primarolo: Legislation will be introduced in the Finance Bill 2003 to take effect from today that will counter avoidance used by individuals attempting to exploit the relevant discounted securities (RDS) rules to create artificial income tax losses and to remove the potential for tax to distort investment decisions between investment in RDS and normal interest bearing securities. The measures will apply to transfers and redemptions of such securities on and after the date of this announcement.
	Legislation will be introduced in the Finance Bill 2003 to take effect from 6 April to provide an income tax exemption for foster carers with gross receipts below a threshold. Carers with receipts above the exemption threshold will be able to choose between computing their profits in the normal way for self- employed persons or treating the amount by which their gross receipts exceed the threshold as their taxable profit.
	A number of Treasury Orders are being made today that set out how the current figures for various tax thresholds and limits would change for 2003–04 if indexed in line with the retail price index for various tax thresholds and limits. There is a formal legislative requirement each year to make such a statement before the start of the tax year on April 6 regardless of the actual changes that are made; the actual levels of these amounts will be announced by the Chancellor on Budget day in the usual way.
	The Orders made today are:
	The Income tax (Indexation) Order 2003 (SI 840), for the starting rate and basic rate limits.
	The Inheritance Tax (Indexation) Order 2003 (SI 841), for the inheritance tax threshold.
	The Capital Gains Tax (Annual Exempt Amount) Order 2003 (SI 842), for the capital gains tax annual exempt amount.
	The Retirement Benefit Schemes (Indexation of Earnings Cap) Order 2003 (SI 843), for the earnings cap for pensions schemes.